New laws being brought in to comply with demands from global financial watchdogs are designed in part to balance civil liberties and transparency, according to Premier Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley.
Mr. Wheatley said the Tuesday passage of the Customs Management (Amendment) No. 2 Bill, 2025, was part of efforts needed for the Virgin Islands to comply with Caribbean Financial Action Task Force recommendations for strengthening anti-money-crime legislation.
The bill, which now awaits the governor’s assent, will allow customs officers to confiscate cash from people at the border if they have suspicions about the money’s origins.
Such laws, Mr. Wheatley said, are “critical in ensuring that the territory meets its international obligations” to prevent financial crimes.
“Given the increasing complexity of illicit financial activities, it is imperative that the territory’s financial framework remains robust and adaptive to emerging threats,” he added.
The premier also said it is essential for customs officers to be able to question individuals about money in their possession when crossing the border.
“One of the most significant changes is the expansion of powers granted to customs officers — enabling them to exercise greater oversight over individuals entering or leaving the territory,” Mr. Wheatley said.
The premier added that these powers include the authority to “question individuals to ensure compliance with currency reporting regulations” and to “temporarily restrain funds where there are reasonable grounds to suspect their involvement in illicit financial activities.”
Mr. Wheatley added that the legislation is needed to tighten procedures.
“We are seeking to close the net,” he said. “And yes, whenever you have enhancement of powers for these different agencies, it may represent uncomfortable realities for us.”
The premier, however, said that civil rights would be protected.
“That is essentially the balance that we have to strike in our society between the enhancement of the powers of these law enforcement agencies and the protections of our civil rights, and that is what the entire world is grappling with at the moment,” he said.
Opposition Leader Ronnie Skelton agreed that safeguards are needed to “protect people from infinite powers.”
Closed-door amendments
Ultimately, the bill passed Tuesday after amendments made in a closed-door committee session.
The amendments were not announced, and the final bill won’t be publicly Gazetted until the governor assents.
The same day, the House of Assembly also passed the Criminal Justice International Co-operation (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Mutual Legal Assistance United States of America Bill, 2025.